The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-06-08

made between social and official conditions,
and Mrs. Fish received her officially.
| There is always a crowd of people about
| Washington esger to worship the diplom-
attic corps, and these people swarmed ab put
| the Catacazys. Well it, was social recog-
| milton enough for such people. This
| diplomatic business of our Government is
| ridiculous enough, as we have no call for
| it, but it brings the blush to know that
| foreign officials can send their mistresses to
| Washington as wives of their ministers.
This has been done more than once. By
the by, my intercourse with the Catacszys
was rather ludicrous, 1 was fight
ing the administration, and to
get even with me General Babcock
gave out the contents of dispatch from
the late John Y. Mason, while Minister to
France, when / was Secretary of Legation,
and subsequently charge d'affairs, that was
not complimentary to me. This document
was considered so confidential that even l
was not permitted to read it. / went at
Hamilton Fish to know how he came to
permit sucn violation Of the rules. Ham,
ilton Fish looks like butler, but he feels
like a gentleman, and when he told me that
it was not his act, nor done with his knowl-
edge, / accepted his statement and began
looking up the offender. One day was
called on at the Capitol Office by rather
pretty, little, bright-eyed French woman,
with pearly teeth, who said, in charming
way:
@I am re demoiselle de compagnie of
Madame Catacazy. l am proud to make re
acquaintance of re editair of re Capitol.
Alb Nor sieur, you write re droll articals.
laugh, Monsieur Catacszy. Madame alzo
laugh at re droll zings vat you write very
droll-et sevaire alzo.'
al am much ccmplimented If the Rus
sian Legation enjoys my articles. OF course,
oil fo 10 hot
do for your
Monsieur, it is 1 who can do re grand
service for monsieur. You have enimee
IN re Department of State. You do not
know; you do not suspect. For leetle
compensation l can give you re name OF
re enemee.'
81 struck a bargain with the sprightly
little woman, and got from her the in
formation that Bancroft Davis, then AS
sistant Secretary of State, was my hidden
foe. and proceeded to make lite burthen
to Bancroft. The acquaintance thus began
continued during the winter. One day she
informed me that Monsieur Catacazy
wished to see me at his house. / sought
the home of the diplomat at the hour indi-
Gated, which was that of luLcn. We had a
delicious lunch, with only the minister,
his fair wife and myself to enjoy il. We
had not gone far before Catacazy began
talking of an article of mine that had APP
peared in the New York Commercial Ad-
vertiser which was very severe upon the
Secretary of the STATE and President. i
assured the minister that he was under
a delusion, that / had never written
for the Commercial Advertiser had been
Washington correspondent OF the Cincin
natl Commercial, but not at the time he
mentioned. The minister persisted, and l
got rather warm, denying il. We had at
last reached q rather cool condition, when
Madame interrupted Us and soothed down
the minister. Subsequently, when 1 told
my little French spy of what had occurred,
she broke into merry laugh. She did not
explain the nature of the jest that awakened
her musical laughter, but said: "Ahl
Monsieur, vousate bien clevair-droll, VARY
droll alzo.'
She gave me many amusing sketches OF
life at The Russian diplomat's-how they
slept all day and gambled all night. They
had so little confidence in each other that
no cards were used second time, but in
winter were thrown in the CRATE. and in
summer out at the window. The early
neighbors would fin the pavement covered
with cards, and wonder thereat. She told
how disposed to intrigue was Madame, and
of Monsieur's furious jealousy. She related
a scene which ended in the fight Of a
Washington swell, with an ugly wound
from revolver bullet in his hand, and as
it escaped his too susceptible head, moth
ing was ever said about the affair. The
most amusing story, however, told was OF
Madame's laying siege to Charles Sumner,
the chairman of the Committee on For
eign Relations of the Senate. The Jour-
nails over the country not long after ap.
peared with an eulogy in Sumner happiest
phrases of eloquenee on the beauties of
womanhood as they appeared in the per-
son of the Russian Minister'S WIFE,
"Four years after these social and dlplo-
matte events" continued the Washington
editor. II was walking along Broadway,
New York, when / encoun Gered the former
dem0iselle de compagnie OF Madame Cata-
cay. All the official actors of my little
comedy were out of Office or dead. The
curtain had been rung down, the lights ex-
tinguisned, and had half forgotten the
events when thissprightly female of French
distraction brought them wildly to mind.
She was about the same, il anything,
younger in looks, and quite as young in
manner.
"sAh! Monsieur, she cried, Selling my
hand and pumping my arm with much
vigor, re droll editair de journal
Capital. Mon ami, you will treat me
to superb loonch. and I will treat you TO
some ziDgs VARY amusant.'
10 tins l, of course, consented, and tax
ing the stage, we got out at Delmonicos,
W0eIe L gave 0eI the liberty Oh ordering
the fare. She told me how old Catacazy got
into trouble writing abusive articles for
the papers. in which the President and
Hamilton Fish are not only spoken of in
an unpleasant manner, but certain state
secrets gwen out, that put the Secretary
on the track of the informer. he cornered
CatacaZy, and demanded of Gortschakof
the stupid fellows recall. She said Gaia
cay conceived then of little scheme to
| liberate himself. He sot me to lunch. and
had a shorthand reporter behind a screen.
Praising the offensive article to me he
thought my vanity would make me accept
the authorship, and such acceptance he
would put under the nose of Hon. Hamil-
ton Fish, while sending copy to Gortscha-
koff.
Bat ze droll editair did not tumble in
re trap. Ny bat did laugh at re stupid
CatacsZY.'
"'But why did you not tell me?'
Eat vas not my beeZnt IS, you very droll
enfant. 1t vas my beezness to tell Monsieur
Bancroft Dawes, witch did
" The devil Why should you tell himg
"'Ah, Monsieur, you are leetle stupid,
too. You see, Ivas employed by Monsieur
Bancroft Dawes to watch Monsieur Cata-
cay. Zen Monsieur Catscazy employ me
to yatch.his vife-he vas VARY jealous. Zen
you employ me 10 watch Monsieur Ban
croft Dawes. All, make re good zing all
around
There you have q glimpse" Piatt con-
claded, ''of social and official life at Wash